￼ The Insight: Get the extra edge in the employment market

A few weeks ago the UCU career development office conducted yet another finalists’ Careers Week. The theme was: “Beyond the transcript”.

Skilled and experienced facilitators from within and outside UCU spoke to the students on various topics. I was honoured to be part of this purposefully selected team.

Indeed, the world continues to change and so are the required skills for ideal professionals.

This trend is influenced by globalization. Therefore, anyone searching for a job placement needs to conform to international standards.

This global perspective is key to overcoming the odds in any job market. The choice of hiring professionals who are assets is better than just picking liabilities. For instance, if you are trying to decide among a few people (with the same skills) to fill a position, one would hire the better writer.

That is because being a good writer is about more than clear writing. Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking. Great writers are good communicators, empathetic, and make things easy to understand.

These are some of the major qualities employers look for in employees. Writing is actually today’s currency for good ideas.

This is an area where any strategic professional thinker should aggressively exploit.

The ten major considerations for hiring strategic professionals, as revealed by top employers such as Microsoft, include:

The ability to express one’s ideas clearly and confidently in speech (verbal communication)

The ability to work confidently within a group (team work)

The ability to understand the commercial realities affecting the organization (commercial awareness)

The ability to gather information systematically to establish facts and principles towards problem-solving (critical-analysis of problems)

The ability to act on initiative,identifyopportunities and proactive in putting forward ideas and solutions (initiative and self-motivated)

The determination to get things done, make things happen and constantly looking for better ways of doing things (self-drive)

The ability to express oneself clearly in writing (written communication)

The ability to plan activities and carry them through effectively (planning and organising),

The ability to adapt successfully to changing situations and environments (flexibility)

The ability to manage time effectively, prioritising tasks and beating deadlines (time management).

Other global skills may include:

The ability to speak and understand other languages in addition to appreciating other cultures.

The ability to influence and convince others

The ability to perform effectively under pressure, and determine the best course of action; and

Evaluate options based on logic, fact and present solutions.

Find opportunities to cultivate these attributes. They will enable you to serve in a multi-cultural setting.

The Foundation Studies course unit called “Understanding World Views”, as offered here at UCU prepares graduates for this.

Our graduates continue to be excellent in the field because of such fundamentals.

Did you know that people with disabilities consistently report a good quality of life? Have you ever thought of what your life would be if you were disabled?
It is quite an unusual reflection. But why do we habitually assume that the physically impaired people are unhappy. For one Francis Okumu, this is a mere misconception.
Francis Okumu is a blind student at Uganda Christian University (UCU). He pursues his Bachelor in Social work and Social Administration. Francis attends class and goes for group discussions with other people. As a matter of fact, one would confuse him for a sighted person seated in the group.
The question is, how does he manage to do all this?

Losing sight
“I was born sighted but had slight pain. My parents took me for an operation in the left eye. But then the problem graduated to the remaining eye,” he narrates.
“By 2003, I had completely lost sight for both eyes. I recall the light-blue sky, the round sun and the animals. If I was given one last chance to see, I would want to read the Bible.”

Lifestyle
Being visually impaired, one would wonder how Francis executes his daily engagements. Yet he runs his daily life just like the rest of the students. He attends class daily, owns a phone which he uses to call home and friends. More so he goes for discussions and listens to news broadcasts on TV.
Solomon Bwamukama, Member of Parliament in the Uganda Christian University guild Government, and roommate, says: “Francis is as normal as anyone else. On day we were moving from the DOSA’s home, I was holding his hand but then let it go shortly to wave at someone who passed by in a car. To my surprise, Francis asked me how long I had known the person I was waving at. I was left speechless. Francis is an amazing person with great intelligence,” Byamukama says of him.
“I got to know about God because of Francis,” he adds.

Education
“When my parents died, my grandmother decided to take care of me. I managed to get enrolled in school. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed on when I got to Senior Five.
Life was devastating then. My education stopped and I went back to my auntie in Tororo who struggled to take me back to school.
Francis started Primary One from Lubu Primary School in Mayuge District, Eastern Uganda at the age of eight. Conditions at Lubu were good. “A particular teacher picked interest in me and taught me the Braille,” he recalls.
Braille is a writing system used by people who are visually impaired. It is traditionally written with embossed paper. “The school provided the equipment and by Senior Five the head teacher got me a Perkins Brailler.”
He was taken to Agururu Primary School, but he had first to go to Mudodo Primary School for a term. While at Mudodo, he could only sit in class and just listen.
“I was given oral exams and managed to be the seventh in a class of over one hundred students,” he says.
Onyango Rafick, a representative from the Community Development office (CDO), went around the village asking people about their needs. At that time Francis had spent a year out of school learning how to use the Brailler.
“When I was asked what I wanted, I quickly replied that I wanted to go to school. I was then taken to Agururu Primary School where I completed my primary school.”
He completed his Primary Seven in 2007. However, being out of school for a long time affected his performance in the Primary Leaving Examination; he scored 26 aggregates.
There was no money to pay for his O-level but with support from various people he managed to finish his Senior Four.
He scored 10 aggregates and wanted to further his studies. “My uncle had initially been tasked with my welfare claimed that where I would go to study was far and the money I would use could take three of his own to school,” he recalls.
The Tororo Eye Hospital through its Department of Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) sponsored people with impairment.
Francis was lucky to be taken on and he was taken to Nsamizi Training Institute of Social Development in Mpigi District.
“ I enrolled there for a Diploma in Social Work. At the same time, America was threatening President Museveni to sign the homosexuality bill. Funding for the institution was then threatened. This was done through reducing on the funds. Nsamizi Training Institute of Social Development which had initially been receiving Shs60m was now reduced to Shs27m. At that time only Shs13m had been acquired,” he explained.
It was a trying time for Francis and the institute wanted to keep students who were still at school. hence so they could not help him.
He was therefore referred back to the district headquarters. Where Moses Muyiza, a senior Community Development Officer for the district, promised to mobilize for money for me to go back to school but later did not.
A pastor in his neighbourhood solicited about Shs1m from the Wide Vision Conference in Mbale. It is only then that he was able to Nsamizi.
With the help of that money, he hired the Perkins Brailler at Shs200,000 per semester. While at the institute, he rented a small room.
Food was never provided by the school. Therefore those who managed could cook but being blind, he could only buy food. This was costly and in most cases he survived on empty stomach.
In June 2006, he finished his Diploma in Social Work. And he did not celebrate because he never had money.
He had planted maize and cassava in the village, so he returned to Tororo and sold them. He used the proceeds to pay for his transcript. because, he says, he is not the kind of disabled person that likes begging.
“After my diploma, I applied to Uganda Christian University for a degree in Social Work and Social Administration. By God’s grace I was admitted in 2017. I applied for a scholarship with Vision For Africa and up to now that is still pending. My stay at UCU is by the favour of God, and I know that He will guide me through.

My Life
“I was born 1989 in Tororo District, Rubongi Subcounty. The need to equip me with a decent education however forced my parents to relocate to Bunyole in mulando. At the age of four, my mother passed on and was shortly followed by my father.”
With this background, how does Francis feel a bout life ?
“I am happy because when I reflect upon where I have come from, I feel glad. Who am I to stay in this private university where many people have failed to reach? Being active in class makes people have time to approach me. I have got used to my classmates and they have got used to me too.”

Early this month Vilma Achieng was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the National Basketball League playoffs after leading her side to winning the title.
She also won the best rebounder, top scorer and best centre in the Zone V Club championship where the team won bronze.
Achieng was born on 23, 1993, in Siayi County, western Kenya, to the late Joseph Owino and Rose Akinyi.
She went to Wera Primary School from 1998 to 2007 before joining Raliew Secondary School for her O-level from 2008-2011.
She previously played volleyball and football before she decided to concentrate on basketball.

Joining Lady Canons
Uganda Christian University (UCU) administration, with the help of an old friend and former Canons player, Robert Mugabe, advised her to join the Lady Canons despite her having wished to play aboard. She accepted the offer.
“While on the team, I began improving as a player each day and built a lot of personal confidence,” she said of her acceptance.

Awards
In 2015, Achieng was named the MVP in that season’s National Basketball League. After consulting teammates, Coach Nicholas Natuhereza made her captain.
In 2014, she had also been voted the league’s top scorer and best rebounder. under her leadership, Lady Canons have managed to win the championship for three years in a
row (2015-2017).
Emmanuel Kiguyi, the Lady Canons tactician, says Achieng is an amazingly gifted
sportsperson who has grown as a player and leader in the past few seasons.
“I think she has finally become comfortable and confident in her role as a team leader and I am confident there is more to come from her,” he says.
on any given night, he says, she is capable of being the most dominant force in Uganda women basketball if she puts her mind to it and this is the next challenge she has to take on.
She was impressed for having won the MVP but is now focusing on the new challenge ahead, she said, when contacted.

Academics and sports
She says advanced preparations help her to balance the two.
Despite having many other achievements, Achieng who is on a full sports scholarship plans to play professional basketball outside the region.
She is a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education.